Woman struck by car near WPI

Monday

Nov 4, 2013 at 7:08 PM

By Scott J. Croteau, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — A 24-year-old woman was seriously injured when she was struck by a van Monday while crossing Salisbury Street. The van driver allegedly drove away after learning the severity of the pedestrians injuries, according to police.

Police were called to Salisbury Street near Worcester Polytechnic Institute about 12:05 a.m. on a report of a woman struck by a van, police said in a news release. WPI officials confirmed the woman is a graduate student at the college. She was crossing the street with her boyfriend when the accident occurred.

"The student was rushed to the hospital and is reported to be in stable condition," the college said in a statement. "The student will continue to receive medical care, and WPI will continue to monitor the situation and provide support to the student."

Police said a white van was heading west on Salisbury Street toward Park Avenue and the woman was crossing the street in front of a WPI building. The driver stopped the van after the accident and got out, police said. The woman was conscious at the scene, but had serious injuries, police said.

The driver "yelled to a witness and the victim," police said. "The witness told the operator that the female was hurt. The operator then got back in his vehicle and fled toward Park Avenue."

The Accident Reconstruction Team arrived along with paramedics, who rushed the woman to the hospital.

Witnesses told police the van was going fast when the crash occurred. The injured woman had almost made it to her vehicle when she was struck, police said.

Investigators tracked the van to Holden. Officers obtained a search warrant to seize the van and had it towed to the police station. Officers found the van had front-end damage. The driver of the vehicle was interviewed, but had not been identified by police Monday.

Police said more information on possible charges and the victim's condition would be released when it was available.